Fans: 14,648
On nearly 150 nights a year, somewhere across North America, you will find a modern day social mosh pit of hippies & hipsters, head-nodders & head-bangers, Burning Man freaks & ex-ravers, dub reggae heads & Dead-heads, artist, fashion experimentalists, social activists, & hip-hop enthusiasts, all packed into one steamy room of grinding, orgiastic expression and musical experimentation known as a bass ritual, or, more precisely, a night with Bassnectar.
Playing at over one-hundred and fifty shows a year; to thousands of different people a month; from sold-out theatres to national festivals, from crowded clubs and warehouses to tight and tiny bars and venues; Bassnectar's enormous popularity reflects the current hunger for raw substance in modern music and a desire for social integrity inside the party scene.
After more than a decade of full-time involvement in the underground electronic music scene, 2005 saw the debutof Bassnectar’s double-disc collection entitled "Mesmerizing The Ultra," a journey through next-level musical mutations, dreamy dubtempo, massive bass lines, heavy sledgehammer beats, head-nodding hip-hop, and a wild assortment of unlikely collaborations; remixing and producing with such artists as the enigmatic and mysterious Buckethead, the jam band super group Sound Tribe Sector 9, cult bluegrass rock star Michael Kang (String Cheese Incident), roots musical activists like Michael Franti (Spearhead), Heavyweight Dub Champion and KRS One, and dubstep/breakbeat pioneer FreQ Nasty. Both critically acclaimed and voraciously consumed, the record helped define the current sound of the West Coast Underground.
On the new album "Underground Communication" (due out in April on SF Indie Om Records), Bassnectar takes another step forward in his genre-bending blend of musical styles and emotions, combining the visceral melodic presence of modern listening music, with the force and volume of sound system dance floor devastation. Whereas the previous record featured collaborations with musicians and bands, the new record is more of an exploration of hip-hop, featuring scores of MCs and rhythmic poetics mashed atop a heavy, driving range of tempo and, of course, those signature throbbing bass lines. Rooted firmly in political conviction, philosophical intention and backed by a rabid fan base and dedicated following, “Underground Communication” sets a new standard for the possibilities of merging music, art, new media and social activism.
Speaking on the meaning behind the title of the album, Bassnectar explains "It centers on the concepts of indie media, the strength of underground networking, social activism and defiance through music, hip hop, and the internet." Judging from his enormous following without any commercial radio play, media push, or licensing product placement hype, the title fits perfectly, and comes at a time when issues of net neutrality, corporate media, and privatization of radio and news outlets couldn’t be more crucial.
Already gaining critical acclaim from tastemakers at URB, FLAVORPILL, and BPM along with winning local Nitevibe.com, SF Weekly and SF Bay Guardian honors for San Francisco's "Best DJ" and forging new paths within the Burning Man scene, the jam band scene, as well as underground hip hop circles and all styles of emerging electronic music, the Bassnectar concept is constantly expanding and redefining itself.
Stay tuned for the new singles entitled "Yo" featuring Spanish rapper KristinaMaria and “Bomb The Blocks” featuring underground queen MC, Persia on Om Records 12" vinyl with remixes by Princess Superstar, Amp Live (Zion I), Speaker Junk, Ghislain Poirier, Daz I Kue (Bugz in the Attic) and Magik Johnson.
